LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 290

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290 PARISH SERVICES

most dedicated and conscientious servant. ...” Dr. Rickman
was instrumental in the formation of the board: he served asa
member from 1959 to 1979 and as its chairman since 1966.

Gratitude is due the following members who faithfully
served on the board during the past biennium: James O. Rice
Jr.. (chairman), Conover, N.C.; Rev. Victor Marxhausen (vice-
chairman). White Bear Lake, Minn., Dr. Jean Garton (secre-
tarv), Pennsauken, N. J.: Rev. George H. Lange, River Forest,
Ill.. Rev. Arnold G. Kuntz, Garden Grove. Calif.; George D.
Robey, Gahanna, Ohio; and William G. Wagner, Austin, Tex.

Staff members are Victor W. Bryant, director and also
chairman of the Division of Communications; Joseph A.
Isenhower Jr., assistant director—News Bureau: Rev. James
W. Rassbach, assistant director—Broadcast and Field Ser-
vices; and Christina Roberts.

Dr. Rickman liked to say, “Keep on keeping going!” We
pledge ourselves to do just that—for Christ, with Christ.

God is causing marvelous things to happen in the Synod at
this time. The board and staff for Public Relations are excited
and proud to be involved as we continue to work with others in
our common and jovful ongoing task of ““PR’—Proclaiming
the Redeemer.

James O. Rice Jr., Chairman
Victor W. Brvant, Executive Secretary

7-05
Report of Concordia Publishing House

When Concordia first opened its doors in 1869, Dr. C. F. W.
Walther charged the officers ‘to serve the glory of God and the
temporal welfare and eternal salvation of men.” This charge
has guided the officers and management of CPH during the
past 112 years and guides them today, as Concordia, the
publishing arm of the Synod, continues to provide the church
with materials for Christian nurture and worship. Corporate
objectives remain centered in Christ as we dedicate our efforts
to mission and ministry. Concordia continues to provide a
great variety of Christ-centered and Bible-based publications
for God’s people.

Publishing More than Print

Today publishing means more than the production of the
printed page. CPH’s publishing program includes many dif-
ferent types of communication products—from books, mer-
chandise, pamphlets, and tracts to posters, films, filmstrips,
records, tapes, and cassettes. Members of the Synod’s congre-
gations are in daily contact with Concordia products, whether
at home or in church, by using Bibles, devotions, Portals of
Praver, Happy Times, My Devotions, The Lutheran Witness,
books, and items of Christian witness like pictures, jewelry,
and plaques. or hymnals, bulletins, offering envelopes, and
choir ‘organ music. All are part of Concordia’s complete “‘pub-
lishing ministry.” All are designed to contribute to the equip-
ping of the saints.

Concordia’s products range from the ever-popular Bible
story Arch Books, now in 114 separate titles with over 34
million distributed, to a series of 10 special books published in
commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the Book of
Concord. Such products aid the congregations of the Synod in
their educational task of nurturing young and old in church
and home with the precious Word of God. To insure conformity
with Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, all of CPH's
publications are certified before publication by doctrinal re-
viewers appointed by the President of the Synod.

During 1979—80, for example, Concordia published more
than 70 new books and pamphlets, including such works as
Renaissance and Reformation, volumes land 2; A Man Called
Martin Luther; How to Involve Children in Worship Services:
Making the Most of Single Life: Inspirational Meditations for
Sunday School Teachers; Concordia Pulpit; Gospel for Little
Kids: A New Start in Youth Ministry; Christ in Your Life; Set
17 of Arch Books; Church in a Changing World; How to
Respond to Eastern Religions; and the Concordia Self-Study
Commentary.

During 1980, Concordia also—

Released a ‘“‘package” of Lenten resources entitled “You Are
My Beloved”;

Introduced a new series of special worship folders:

Conducted 127 workshops to train vacation Bible school
leaders to use our 1980 Concordia VBS program:

Received and answered 78,042 phone calls on our WATS
lines (37 per hour average):

Displayed Concordia’s resources at 47 conventions, includ-
ing 38 District, the Fort Collins youth gathering, and the Great
Commission Convocation, reaching approximately 20,000
people in person:

Released 83 new musical compositions;

Filled 283,000 orders (1,100 per day average);

Customized and packaged 1,421,522 church offering en-
velope sets;

Further modified our building to significantly reduce our
consumption of energy;

Devleoped further uses of our computerized systems;

Issued 1,742,648 catalogs and an additional 8,871,735 bro-
chures, direct-mail inserts, etc.’

Added 25 new tracts to the many offerings of the Concordia
Tract Mission;

Increased sales in 1980 by $1,600,000 to a total of
$21,300,000

Encouraging Growth

Despite the onslaught of inflation and the unstable eco-
nomic conditions during the past biennium, Concordia Pub-
lishing House has experienced another period of encouraging
growth. Net sales totalled $41 million, an increase of $3 million
for the two-year period. Out of net income, Concordia’s Board
of Directors authorized the transfer to the synodical treasury of
$1,900,000 not needed for internal use.

Concordia and Synod

Asits publishing arm, CPH also works closely with various
departments of the Synod. Through CPH’s experienced edi-
torial and design staff, synodical boards and commissions are
enabled to produce their own specialized materials for evan-
gelism and stewardship programs, as well as documents and
tracts needed in the areas of theology and church relations. By
1973 action of the Synod’s Board of Directors, Concordia’s
computer center is the Synod’s data-processing center, main-
taining the records of pension and welfare plans, the Synod’s
finanical records, the Forward in Remembrance file, and the
Synod’s many mailing lists and official records.

CPH Board of Directors

Concordia Publishing House is chartered as a not-for-profit
corporate entity organized under the laws of the state of
Missouri. It is operated by a Board of Directors responsible to
the Synod according to the provisions of its corporate charter
and bylaws. The Board of Directors is elected by the Synod in
Convention to supervise and guide the business affairs of the
corporation.

The Board of Directors, composed of nine persons, includes
one pastor, one teacher, and seven laymen. In addition, the
corporation’s president and chief executive officer, Dr. R. L.
Reinke, and Dr. Norman Sell, Synod’s Treasurer, attend
board meetings as advisory members. The elected directors’
six-year terms of office are staggered to maintain business
continuity.

Present officers and members of the CPH board are Fred L.
Kuhlmann (chairman), senior vice-president/ administration
and services, Anheuser Busch, Inc., St. Louis, Mo.; Paul W.
Krueger (vice-chairman) CPA, senior consultant, Murphy.
Jenne & Jones, Bloomington, I]].; Enno Sauer (secretary), past
president and consultatnt to Rohm and Haas of Kentucky,
Inc., Louisville, Ky.; Rev. J. Barclay Brown, pastor of Mt. Hope
Lutheran Church, Casper, Wyo.; Milton P. Koch, owner, ProKo
Home Maintenance Co., College Park, Md.; Marvin Jenkins,
division personnel manager, 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn.; Dr.
David Kaufmann, professor of physical education, Uni-
versity of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.; Arnold F. Kemmerle, CPA,
Santa Rosa, Calif.; Roger Laesch, principal, Northwest Lu-
theran School, Milwaukee, Wis.; Dr. Norman Sell, treasurer,
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, the Synod’s repre-